MNsure extension deadline for private insurance buyers April 22

ST. PAUL – In late March, the state's health insurance exchange created an online form for people to signify that they were trying to obtain coverage before the federal health law's March 31 deadline, but couldn't do so for technical reasons.

The April 22 deadline will not apply to people who filled out an enrollment attempt form and are determined eligible for either Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. Instead, they will get more information about signing up for the public health insurance programs from state or county officials.

But the deadline applies to people who aren't eligible for the public programs and must instead purchase insurance from a private company.

"Consumers in this category who are determined eligible to purchase a qualified health plan from a health insurance company must choose their health plan online before 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22," MNsure said in a statement Monday.

"These consumers must also make their first month's premium payment in full by April 30 directly to their insurance company to activate their coverage and avoid penalties," the statement stated.

More than 36,000 enrollment attempt forms were completed in the days leading up to the March 31 deadline. MNsure officials said Monday they have determined that nearly 32,000 forms reflect "genuine enrollment attempts."

Health exchange officials have started auditing the forms, to see if consumers already show up elsewhere in MNsure's consumer system. Of the first 11,900 forms audited, about 3,700 came from people already in the system who are being contacted separately about getting coverage.

People who filled out the other 8,200 forms are getting emails, which started going out Friday, said Jenni Bowring-McDonough, a MNsure spokeswoman. More emails will be sent this week, she said, as MNsure audits the remaining 20,000 enrollment attempt forms.

Minnesota created the MNsure health exchange last year to implement the federal Affordable Care Act, which requires almost all Americans to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty.

As of April 7, nearly 180,000 people had signed up for public or private health insurance through MNsure.